Hey, I just joined here earlier today. I think this is a pretty cool forum. I mainly joined for some constructive criticism. I saw the short stories section and am looking forward to posting some of my work and seeing how good or bad or tweeks there are to them. Thanks, hope to talk to you all!
Hello Gabs, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Before you can get critique, you must first give critique. This is not just a quid pro quo, it is because improving your critiquing skills is the primary focus of the Review Room workshop. Improving your critiquing skills will improve your ability to find and fix weaknesses in your own writing. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Thanks for the welcome guys! Cogito-you make some good points there. I'm all about respect in the forum. I really dislike the bashers which is why I seek constructive criticism, not a "THIS SUCKS!" type of reply. But you make several good points and I will definately browse the posts and FAQ before getting post crazy, I just wanted to say my 'hello' to everyone. I'll for sure take a look at other stories and give my own criticism of that work. That's a very good suggestion for people...just because a lot of people could really use their own advice, I know I've been at fault for that a few times. Anyway, I look forward to contributing to the site. Looks like a cool place
I'm on the same page, except I'm more of a lyricist. I've always thought my lyrics were deep and meaningfull, but a few past reviewers thought otherwise. I hope WF will help with my writing skills. I also hope for you to have a great time posting and reviewing yours and others work. peace.
DC - I tried my hand at writing songs. My dad does it at home and I try to help but I'm only good at making the lyrics better, I'm just awful at coming up with it on my own. And I don't play any instruments so without a beat I can't really figure out how to write it. I wish the best of luck to you on that. I tried my hand at screenplays and that worked out pretty well for me. Now I just want to try something different and write short stories. Hopefully after I've mastered the technique and gotten some confidence in my writing I'll go for a novel. I started to write one a few months ago but it was just coming out awful so I figured I'd start small and work on it again later.
Welcome to the forums you should find plenty of people willing to give you useful advice here, and I look forward to reading your works
